Vintage Tractor Engineer is often asked to recommend a good engine reconditioning shop for our DVD customers. That’s easy if you live in the North East of England because we can recommend our local engineer who is very good, but what if you live in other parts of the world?
Can You Recommend An Engineer?
First of all, if you have an engineer in your area who you have found to do a good job then please leave your recommendation and their details in the comments box below. This can be useful for anyone who is just starting out in the tractor restoration hobby.
Comiskey Engineering Works
We had an email recently from Robert Eakins. Robert is one of our DVD customers and has used both the Engine Rebuild DVD and the Hydraulics DVD to renovate his FE35 Gold and Grey, Robert wrote…
“my FE35’s engine is totally rebuilt and running like a watch,hydraulic pump etc the same. Thank you very much for the help.”
Robert kindly went on to tell us about his local engineers, Comiskey Engineering Works, Mahon Industrial Estate, Portadown, Northern Ireland. It was here that Robert had the major works done to the engine and also had the head bored for heater plugs…
“On the difficulty of starting the 23C engine, I thought you might like to know that I got the head bored for heater plugs by the same guys here in Portadown that did all the engine work. It is a routine procedure for them,and they have a jig for it. I then fitted Peugeot 106 heater plugs and Bingo! 3 seconds of heat and it starts no matter what!”
Comiskey come highly recommended by Robert and are able to do all routine engine work such as…
Stuart is having trouble with the hydraulics on his tractor. Here is what he has to say…
I have a MF35 tractor. The hydraulic lift pump seems to be operating slow when using the hydraulics to lift the ram on my tilt trailer. I have been advised to check the strainer. I was given a photo copie of the lift pump with strainer, but when I pulled off the side plates to look for it, the lift pump looks different and there is no strainer to be found.The photo copied info is for a MF 35 like mine.Is there any one that might know what I am doing wrong I would be grateful for any info. thanks.
Stuart
Hi Stuart,
The early tractors didn’t have a filter on the pump.
The next (easiest and least expensive) thing to check would be the o’rings on the stand pipe. There is a small cap under the seat (under front right hand side of seat). If you remove this cap there is a stand-pipe under there which you can pull out. Check the condition of the o’rings and replace if necessary – this is a common place for oil to leak. The stand pipe takes oil from the pump and up into the lift cylinder.
If that doesn’t help then you will probably have to remove the top hydraulic cover and take a look inside. There could be a whole host of reasons as to what is causing the problem. A faulty pressure relief valve is a possiblity, or otherwise the control valve or wear in the pump itself.
The hydraulic system is quite complex, but it is only a mechanical system, so anyone can refurbish the system. It isn’t really possible to email you the details of what to do, as it is so complex, but if you need it then the Hydraulics DVD shows 2 hours of tutorials of what to do to get the system working as it should.
One of our readers, Nick, has sent in a query about his tractor. Nick is having problems sourcing the correct tractometer cable and is also trying to identify which model he has. Can anyone help?
Here’s what Nick has to say about his tractor…
Happy New Year All, My lovely wife bought me a MF35X with 9 attachments in a job lot and now tinkering with my main “Toy”, I cannot positively ID it as either an MF35 or MF35X. Issue now is, tacho cable is missing and I’m trying to get the right parts. The output end is off the camshaft that is a 1/2″ shaft with a 3/16″ slot as if to take a flat bladed tacho cable end. Yet the ‘new’ supplied part has a 2mm sqr section each end. There is now confusion as to which engine I have. To solve the problem, the experts supplied a tacho drive shaft which is a small fitting comprising a small rod with a 3/16″ slot, drilled through with a 2mm sq section hole. The end of this item has milled flutes as if to slot into the end of the camshaft. However, there is no way I can install it into/onto the existing camshaft end. The Engine S/N is 11229031 (too many numbers?) stamped on the rear end of engine block and also stamped on lower LHS of the block. Beneath the rear end serial number is stamped MDA DE91. Cast into the block on the lower LHS is GKN 1615 (no following letter). I have often assumed that many older engines have a country of origin letter incorporated within the S/N or casting number. After reading your great forum, I can also advise the tractor HAS grease nipples in the front hubs, HAS diff lock, HAS pre-combustion chambers, HAS small rear mud guards, HAS 1700 RPM as the PTO speed (540), HAS head lamps low on either side of bonnet, HAS a changed dynamo bracket, but does not have Multi-Power. Dash has ammeter, tacho and oil pressure gauges. What engine/tractor do I have?
Get some jealously-guarded secrets from top tractor restoring experts…
“Learn how to turn a tired old
tractor
into a show condition machine”
Watch the full restoration of a Massey Ferguson 135 tractor, from barn find to show stopper!
If you are interested in restoring tractors then this DVD shows you all the steps that you need to go through. Learn how to do many of the common mechanical repairs as well as the body panel renovations and painting. Although based around a Massey Ferguson 135, the restoration process shown can be applied to any model of tractor. It explains the decisions to be made when trying to preserve originality and how this can effect the value of the tractor.
What you get…
full restoration process
decision to replace or restore body panels – keeping authenticity
techniques to cut out and replace rusted parts of body panels
panel beating
shot blasting techniques, including working pressures
using filler
sanding techniques
painting
adding decals
replacing oil seals on half shafts
removing and fitting new bearings on rear axle
easy method to remove steering wheel
removing and refitting hydraulic top cover
replacing cross shaft and bushes (keeping it authentic of course!)
splitting tractor to replace rear crankshaft rope oil seal
re-bushing knuckle joints on linkage
bleeding fuel system
With 3.5 hours of footage recorded onto 2 discs, there is almost too much content to list!
This DVD is the best general tractor restoration film that Vintage Tractor Engineer has ever seen. The programme runs for 3.5 hours and covers all the issues facing a restorer. It shows the full restoration from start to finish and discusses the issues that a restorer faces such as the decision to repair/restore original parts or replace with new parts. We are shown how to do all the tasks listed above in more than sufficient detail to undertake the tasks proficiently.
+++++ Highly Recommended +++++
The Vintage Tractor Engineer Team
The Massey Ferguson 135 is one of the most desirable tractors for an enthusiast to have in his/her collection. This DVD from Reborn Tractor show all the MF135 specific information such as looking for the correct Butler lamps, wheel rims etc. that is needed to keep your tractor as original and authentic as possible. The DVD is a must for any 135 restorer.
The DVD is suitable for any tractor enthusiast who is interested in restoration.
One of Vintage Tractor Engineer’s Australian DVD customers, forum member and much appreciated commentator on this website (it’s the tractor restoring public that make this website what it is!!) owns a grey gold FE35 and a red/grey Massey Ferguson 35.
Dave has some good information for us all, and says that the gold/grey FE35 had a grey seat cushion with grey piping (NOT red as many people suggest).
Here are some of Dave’s emails, photos and thoughts about the colours and decals / badges as he has gone through the restoration process…
The grey gold FE was bought on the 2nd February 1958 from Pakenham Produce in Melbourne and my Dad picked it up from the rail yards at Bairnsdale station about 300 Kilometres from Melbourne in Victoria, he then drove it 116 kilometers to the farm at Swiftscreek, on the road, about 90 ks of that was dirt road back in those days, took him 4 hours, without registraton, the tractor remains on the farm today, it is still used for hay cutting, raking and bailing using a Massey Square bailer, which is totally red.
The seat is grey piping on grey cushion and squab.
The gold is more of a real gold colour, metalic, but is flat and faded from the years of weathering.
The colour is nowhere near the copper colour seen on other pictures i saw on the web.
Next time i head up to the farm, 2 weeks, i will get frame number and engine numbers and take some good quality photos.
I have seen other grey golds at the farm show each year at Ladner Park and they are a similar gold to ours, but restored.
The ferguson badges have red as the background, not gold or copper.
The main difference i have seen on our tractors to others is ours has two fuel filters mounted to the battery box instead of one, and has two batterys, the second one mounted beside the seat on the left hand side on the axle housing.
The Red tractor is a 23c dual clutch also, its engine number is SJ83859ED, and the plate number is SDM112958.
My 13 year old son and i have this tractor in our shed at the moment, we are stripping and totally rebuilding it as a father son type project. casting dates on the Engine and Trans are 18.8.58 (eng), and 7.6.58 (trans)
So far we have totally refurbed the engine using your video as a guide, spent a small fortune on the fuel system “ouch”, that injector pump refurb cost me dearly, but it was stuffed, refurbed the clutch, new bearings and plates, and dismantled and rebuilt the trans replacing one of the PTO gears, ground drive gear missing a few teeth.
We have just refurbed the steering box, and front end, replaced all the bushes, reamed them.
I bought a front end trunnion bush and pin from Agriline, but the bolt hole doesnt line up with the stepped bolt hole in the front end casting, its 1/4 inch too low, cant believe it and i’m at a loss on what to do next with that one.
Paint is confusing on the tractor, bought in December 1958, it was totally red, i have seen many mf35s here which are the same, all red, wheels and all.
Underneath the red on the engine, front end parts, trans and battery tray is gold, almost same colour as our grey gold, but not quite as yellow, more silvery gold.
The injection pump mounting was grey under the red, as are the wheels.
the tin work is red to the metal.
The trans and axle appear to be gold under red, but the tractor has sat for nearly 20 years with the back end sticking out of the hay shed, without the bonnet on, covered in bird poop.
Dad cant remember why he put it in the shed, but i suspect it was to replace or repair the radiator as it still looks like the day it was made.
We tow started this tractor, and it started almost immediately after 20 years, couldnt believe it. Wouldnt start on a new battery, turned over but just didnt fire.
Heres some pics of it at the moment. you can see from some of the close ups on the trans housing the gold colour.
We were painting the colour scheme grey / red as you can see from the engine, all the forums say this is what it should be but now were not sure, hence the reason we were scouring the pages for colour info.
I have a guy in canada who has emailed me, and he has almost identicle tractor to ours, also built at coventry, and only 700 tractors different in the serial number.
This tractor has also got two fuel filters and a double battery setup, ours has 12v dynamo, so i’m not sur if it was 12v or 2x 6v, in series.
The front badge is missing, but the printing on the side panels says Diesal Delux, no Massy stickers or decals anywhere, but may have worn off over the years, it has the push button fuel tank cover.
My Dad says he thought the badge said Ferguson, same as the grey gold, but most of the forums suggest its the MF badge basede on build date, not sure how to confirm that either.
further to my email and photos the other day on the Red Grey MF35, i have more colour confusion, cleaning off the wheels today revealed a different colour again under the red paint…..cream.
I have attached some photos again after the first wash with oven cleaner, the wheels were grey on the inside and cream on the outside.
Considering we have owned this tractor since new, it appears its a real bits and pieces tractor, gold engine and cream wheels, red tin work, all painted over red. i’ve also attached another photo with the very clear gold on the casting parts,
I have been in contact with an MF35 owner in Canada who has sent me some pics of his tractor, almost identical to ours with gold castings and red tin and wheels, pic attached.
Does any body have any ideas about cream colour in the Ferguson range ?
Best regards,
Dave
Dave has sent in some more info…
I love all this detective work, makes me feel like Dan Brown…..
Found these two statements on the ferguson enthusiast site.
(MF 35 Parts Book, MF, Inc. Form No. 651 093 M93, {6/77}, pp. 196, 197;specified on MF 35 Engineering Drawing # 181 200 M93/sheet 3)
MF front hood emblem authorized by Engineering Dept. on 2/9/60.
Wording change on decals from “Ferguson” to Massey-Ferguson” authorized by Engineering Dept. on 2/9/60.
This suggests changes occured more than a year after Pauls research which fits in with a few other peoples tractors.
I’ve had some correspondence from a member of the “Ferguson Club of Victoria”, he says that it was not uncommon for a bits and pieces build up as final assembly was done at may of the distributors in import countries.
He says that tractors were shipped from the UK piggy backed, no rear wheels and no panels, the front of one tractor on the back of another, wheels tyres and panels bulk packed for latter assembly.
He also says that many were repainted here, including yellow for council orders and cream for dairy orders.
Lights, plough lights etc were fitted here depending on the customer order.
He says he will dig up a 1958 photo of tractors being off loaded 1 at a time in Sydney showing more than 50 FE35’s all piggy backed on a deck of the ship, cant wait to see that one.
And some more photos as the restoration nears completion…
This Ferguson decal is on the bonnet, is this original?
This is the current decal/badge on the back of the seat.
Quadrant levers looking good
Not completed yet, but Dave couldn't resist taking her out for a run
